According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the NFL informed teams that the 2022 salary cap is projected to be $208.2 million, a $25.7 million increase from this year's salary cap.
As expected, the NFL informed clubs the 2022 salary cap is projected to be $208.2 million, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 14, 2021
On December 5, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported that the 2022 salary cap was expected to be the $208.2 million maximum agreed upon by the NFL and NFL Players Association in May. But the final numbers had not yet been announced.
Over The Cap lists the San Francisco 49ers as owning $2.7 million of space under the current $182.5 million salary cap. The increased salary cap could help the team extend several key players, like defensive end Nick Bosa and wide receiver Deebo Samuel. After this season, both third-year players will become eligible to engage in contract extension talks.
The 49ers could increase their cap space by parting ways with veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and his scheduled $24.2 million base salary next season, allowing them to lock up their core playmakers while potentially bolstering other key positions. While most expect San Francisco to transition to the team's No. 3 overall pick, Trey Lance, in 2022, nothing is a certainty at this point.
Below is a 10-year breakdown of the NFL salary cap, including the projection for next season. The only salary cap decrease during that span occurred from 2020 to 2021 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 2013: $123 million
- 2014: $133 million
- 2015: $143.28 million
- 2016: $155.27 million
- 2017: $167 million
- 2018: $177.2 million
- 2019: $188.2 million
- 2020: $198.2 million
- 2021: $182.5 million
- 2022: $208.2 million
